Prevention-MitigationEmergency Management for Schools trainingFebruary 22, 2007, Philadelphia, PA
Jon AkersExecutive Director Kentucky Center for School Safety
Steve KimberlingSchool Safety Assessment CoordinatorKentucky Center for School Safety
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools400 Maryland Avenue, SW / Washington, DC 20202
2
Overview of Session
• Discuss key messages, definitions and examples of Prevention-Mitigation phase
• Identify key components of Prevention-Mitigation:• Collaboration• Safety and security needs assessment• Hazard analysis
• Next steps• Practice Prevention-Mitigation techniques• Questions?
3
Key Messages
• The Prevention-Mitigation phase is designed to assess and address the safety and integrity of facilities, security and culture and climate of schools
• Prevention-Mitigation builds on what schools are already doing
• Schools need to take an all-hazards approach when assessing risks and vulnerabilities
• Prevention-Mitigation is an ongoing process that is directly linked to the other three phases of emergency planning
• Strong community partnerships and leadership support facilitates a more comprehensive Prevention-Mitigation strategy
5
What is the Prevention-Mitigation Phase?
• Prevention is the action(s) schools and districts take to decrease the likelihood that an event or crisis will occur
• Mitigation is the action(s) schools and districts take to eliminate or reduce the loss of life and property damage related to an event(s) that cannot be prevented
GOAL: Assess and address the safety and integrityof facilities, security and culture and climate ofschools to ensure a safe and healthy learningenvironment
6
Prevention Examples• Communication procedures for staff, parents, students
and the media
• Current efforts being implemented by the school: • Wellness activities (mental health services, alcohol prevention, etc.)• Bullying prevention programs • Safety procedures such as hazardous weather drills
• Established and current policies that are related, but not limited, to:• Food preparation• Mail handling• Building access• Student accounting
• Assessments related to threat, physical infrastructure and culture and climate
7
Mitigation Examples
• Bolting bookshelves to the wall
• Fencing hazardous areas• Anchoring outdoor
equipment that could become a flying projectile
• Applying Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles to school grounds and structures
8
What is Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)?
• The three principles of the CPTED program are:• Natural surveillance - the ability to easily see what is occurring
in a particular setting• Natural access control - the ability to restrict who enters or
exits an environment• Territoriality-maintenance - the ability to demonstrate
ownership of and respect for property
• More information on CPTED is available at http://www.edfacilities.org/rl/cpted.cfm#10905
10
Prevention-Mitigation: Key Components
• Collaborate and build relationships with partners
• Conduct a safety and security needs assessment:
• Become familiar with available resources• Understand the environment
• Analyze hazards
• Take next steps
11
Building Relationships
• Establishing teacher/student relationships
• Building trust among school staff, students and parents
• Finding ways for students to be "connected" to the school — during and after the school day
• Establishing a welcoming school climate and culture
12
Partner Collaboration Considerations
• Invite community partners to be part of the planning process
• Work closely with emergency managers as mitigation of community hazards may be beyond the control of school officials
• Involve regional, local and school-based leaders
• Generate broad based support in the Prevention-Mitigation phase, this helps create "buy-in" for the entire emergency management process
13
Safety and Security Needs Assessment: Available Resources
Prior to conducting a safety and security needsassessment, schools and districts should gathercurrent resources including, but not limited to:• Previous assessments:
• City or county vulnerability assessments• Facility assessments, for example, Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design (CPTED) • Culture and climate assessments
• Relevant and recent data:• School specific incident data• School climate and culture data• Community hazard profile
14
Safety and Security Needs Assessment: Understanding the Environment
Assessments should be comprehensive andaddress hazards or risks in the following settings:• School-based
• Negative school climate perceptions • Obstructed pathways, unsafe playground equipment
• District-wide• Unclear or outdated school policies and procedures
• Surrounding neighborhood• High crime rates• Next to an intersection with heavy truck traffic
• Greater community• Nearby nuclear power plant, located on a fault line
16
Safety and Security Needs Assessment: Identify Hazards
A comprehensive emergency management plan shouldaddress all-hazards, including, but not limited to: • Natural - Earthquakes, tornados, floods• Technological - Power outages, nearby nuclear plant• Infrastructure - Roads and bridges, utilities • Nonstructural - Portable room dividers, bookshelves,
suspended ceilings and light fixtures• Man-made - Hazardous materials release, terrorism• Biological - Pandemic flu, contaminated food• Physical wellbeing - Broken bones, suicide• Student culture and climate - Bullying, drugs, violent
behavior
17
Safety and Security Needs Assessment: Profile Hazards
When developing a hazard profile, schools shouldconsider questions, such as:• Frequency of occurrence - How often is it likely to occur?• Magnitude and potential intensity - How bad can it get?• Location - Where is it likely to strike?• Probable geographical extent - How large an area will it
effect?• Duration - How long could it last?• Seasonal pattern - When is the time of year it is more likely
to occur?• Speed of onset - How fast will it occur?• Availability of warnings - How much warning time is there?
Does a warning system exist?
18
Hazard Analysis: Determine Vulnerability and Risk
• Vulnerability is the susceptibility of life, property or environment
• Risk is the probability of suffering loss or injury from the impact of a hazard:• Creating a risk analysis matrix is one means of graphically
representing risk
19
Risk Matrix Example
High Hurricane
Tornado
MediumFlood Violence
LowHazmat Spill
Low Medium High
Probability
Severity
20
Take Action
Some suggested Prevention-Mitigation actionitems and next steps:
• Connect with partners• Review audits and data• Assign or determine responsibility • Encourage participation of all partners• Assess problems• Conduct an assessment with all partners• Implement necessary changes
21
Summary
• Prevention-Mitigation is a continual process
• Schools are already involved in creating safe learning environments - Prevention-Mitigation builds on these efforts
• Both physical facilities and social / emotional needs of students and staff must be considered prior to the occurrence of an incident or event
• Prevention-Mitigation involves establishing key community partnerships and assessing and addressing identified safety and security needs
33
THANK YOUFor More Information Contact:
Jon Akers: [email protected]
Steve Kimberling: [email protected] ERCM TA Center: 888-991-3726 or [email protected]